US resolution against Lanka lacks support

by Manjula Fernando

The final draft of the US resolution on Sri Lanka has not been officially submitted as yet even after the second informal meeting of member states which Sri Lanka did not attend. A spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry said this may be due to lack of consensus on the contents of the resolution by member States.

However, he said, ‘it is likely that the resolution may be handed over to the Council on Monday or Tuesday’, but still it may be a watered down version of the original draft since many countries have opposed Sri Lanka being singled out for action.

All resolutions at the UN Human Rights Council are taken up for consideration on the last two days of the session (March 20 and 21).

Therefore, the document has to reach the Council on Monday or Tuesday. The 22nd regular session of the UNHRC will conclude on Friday, March 22.

Among the countries that have registered strong opposition to the resolution and proposed amendments are the Russian Federation, China, Cuba, Pakistan, Iran, Venezuela, Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.

They have called the resolution ‘intrusive’ and upheld that Sri Lanka was working hard on human rights.

During the first informal meeting called by the US Ambassador to discuss the draft resolution which Sri Lanka too attended, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha said that the US move ‘clearly contravenes the accepted principles of conduct in the Human Rights Council.’

Calling the ongoing attempt a politicised move, ‘based on a misconceived and arbitrary premise’, he called upon the US government and possible co-sponsors of the resolution, not to do anything to endanger the ongoing delicate reconciliation in Sri Lanka.